British Radio

Ken Bruce has signed off for the final time on BBC Radio 2 a short time ago.

Earlier he admitted that the BBC were essentially putting him on ‘gardening leave’ to see out the final weeks of his contract.

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Up in Scotland, Global is reintroducing a full local daytime schedule for Heart Scotland and Capital Scotland. Since the stations launched under their current brands (Capital in 2011 & Heart in 2014), they have only been providing the minimum level of local programming to meet their license requirements, which is currently 3 hours on weekdays.

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BBC Radio 2 has a new news jingle…

Yeah, I think I prefer the old one…

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Hmm yes I think I prefer the original too

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It can be found on the following link: Ratings – Radio Intelligence

The ratings results conducted in October-December 2022 by RAJAR went like this:

#1. BBC Radio 4: 13.7
#2. BBC Radio 2: 11.0
#3. LBC: 7.7
#4. Heart: 4.7
#5. Classic FM: 4.2
#6. Magic: 3.8
#7. BBC Radio 1: 3.7
#8. Capital: 3.5
#9. BBC Radio 5: 3.1
#10. Smooth Radio: 2.3
#11. Greatest Hits Radio: 2.2
#12. BBC Radio 3: 2.0

According to the RAJAR website, the next ratings for the UK & London is due to be released today, looking at the ratings over the March Quarter of 2023.

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Looks like one or two missing, like XFM, but I’m guessing they must be lower than #12 in the ratings. The DAB only stations of course would also be lower too, although I understand Virgin Radio and BBC6 pull very decent numbers.

The other thing I find interesting about London is they are fine with 0.4 spacing on FM, with Heart 106.2, GHR 105.8 and Magic 105.4 all just 0.4 apart… Memo to ACMA.

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Also Kiss100 which only has a share of 1.8 in London. A few years ago they were level pegging, and in one survey ahead of Capital fm.

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Liza Tarbuck will be fuming!

What the?!?

Looking at these ratings again, and also the recent media attention around falling ratings for the ABC…how much would the ABC like to be doing as well as BBC radio!

You’ve effectively got their RN equivalent R4 at numbet one. R2 at number 2 - ABC has no equivalent. Classic FM at No. 5 although this is a commercial station - but it’s still classical music. R1 is No. 7 but there is a huge amount of competition for the youth audience, like Capital, KISS etc. And DAB uptake is much higher…

Yes they’re all on FM but then we get back to the fact that London seems to cope with 0.4 spacing.

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Correct you have Heart Dance, Capital Dance, KissTory which have a market share of around 0.9 which is only on Dab and streaming, but included in the total ratings. Lots of completion for the youth market in the UK.

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It is widely reported that Liza Tarbuck hates the news bulletin sandwiched in her show, so she’ll use the run-up to get one last laugh in. Given how much she deviates from the (now former) script, it has become a running joke of it’s own.

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London most recent survey results-

London

RAJAR, share (January-March 2023)

  1. 13.7 BBC Radio 4
  2. 11.0| BBC Radio 2
  3. 8.7 LBC
  4. 4.6 Heart
  5. 4.3 Classic Fm
  6. 3.8 BBC Radio 1
  7. 3.5 Magic
  8. 3.3 Capital
  9. 3.1 BBC Radio 5
  10. 2.5 Greatest Hits Radio
  11. 2.2BBC Radio 3
  12. 2.0 Smooth Radio

UK National

  1. 15.2 BBC Radio 2
  2. 11.2 BBC Radio 4
  3. 5.6 Heart
  4. 5.0 Hits Radio
  5. 4.9 BBC Radio 1
  6. 3.6 Classic Fm
  7. 3.6 Greatest Hits Radio
  8. 3.4 Smooth Radio
  9. 3.2 LBC
  10. 3.0 BBC Radio 5
  11. 2.9 Capital
  12. 2.7 BBC 6 Music

Couple of interesting points, talk is king in London with BBC R4 taking top spot, and LBC #1 commercial in London. LBC only rates 9th nationally v 3rd in London.

Also looking at Capural fm, yes it has gone national but it strength still is in London.

Kiss did not make the top 12 with a 1.5 share in London and 1.0 nationally.

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Interesting. Thanks for posting.

I think Capital doesn’t have full national FM coverage so that would explain its lower figure nationally. By comparison Hits radio and Heart have more FM coverage.

Same with LBC. I don’t think it’s on FM outside London, just DAB.

Interesting BBC R6 rates so well given it’s DAB only.

Magic is definitely winning the battle with Smooth in London, but isn’t on FM outside London.

BBC R2 is such a powerhouse. It’s proof a station can be hugely successful with a diverse and even ecclectic music playlist that appeals to a broad age range.

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ABC needs to have a station that’s similar to their format .

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BBC Radio 2 launches its new station sound

The bespoke package features a range of generic elements, crafted around mood-invoking sounds which range from party vibes to more chilled and relaxed feeling themes

We’re delighted to launch Radio 2’s newly-updated station sound to our listeners. Featuring new singers and the wonderful BBC Concert Orchestra, it encapsulates the network’s rich musical heritage and encompasses a range of mood themes for our shows, from upbeat to chilled.

— Robert Gallacher, Commissioning Editor, BBC Pop

Radio 2 - the UK’s most listened to radio station - has unveiled its brand-new station sound package, made by London-based audio production company Wisebuddah. The new package features a live orchestral session recorded at London’s AIR studios with the prestigious BBC Concert Orchestra.

Wisebuddah worked in close collaboration with the network’s Pop Hub Station Sound team to create a package that is not only innovative and memorable, but also uses new singers never heard on a UK network package, all creating a stylistic expression of the station.

The bespoke package features a range of generic elements, crafted around mood-invoking sounds which range from party vibes to more chilled and relaxed feeling themes, in addition to several show specific themes for the station’s daytime output, including the brand-new Vernon Kay show.

Robert Gallacher, Commissioning Editor, BBC Pop, says: “We’re delighted to launch Radio 2’s newly-updated station sound to our listeners. Featuring new singers and the wonderful BBC Concert Orchestra, it encapsulates the network’s rich musical heritage and encompasses a range of mood themes for our shows, from upbeat to chilled.”

Listen here

https://wisebuddahjingles.com/stations/bbc-radio-2

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Gee 25k is a pittance to an operator like them. They’d be laughing their heads off. A company like that would spend more on Christmas drinks!

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Can we please have a UK Community Radio thread?
Pretty friendly bunch of people doing some awesome work in the UK.